Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Congratulations, Congressman Barletta, for sponsoring this resolution enabling this important memorial service to go forward. You're to be commended for it, and I'm honored to be able to stand here on behalf of the minority and offer our support for the resolution.

H. Con. Res. 18, as the gentleman just said, authorizes use of the Capitol Grounds for the 32nd Annual National Peace Officers' Memorial Service on May 15 on the west front of the U.S. Capitol. This is a solemn and respectful public event honoring local and Federal enforcement officers who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty in 2012.

One of those brave public servants was Cold Spring, Minnesota, Police Officer Thomas ``Tommy'' Decker, who was shot and killed while checking on the welfare of a citizen in an apartment in Cold Spring, Minnesota, on November 29, 2012. Officer Tom Decker was a 6-year veteran and a father of four. He was a 2002 graduate of Alexandria Technical College in Minnesota, where he received an associate in arts degree in law enforcement.

Officer Decker worked in the city of Isle, the city of Watkins, and the city of Kimball, all in Minnesota, before joining the Cold Spring Police Department full time in March of 2006.

According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, Officer Decker was one of 129 brave men and women killed in the line of duty last year. Of those, traffic-related incidents led to the deaths of 50 officers, while 49 died from firearm-related causes. In all, more than 19,000 law enforcement officers have given the ultimate sacrifice while on duty since the first law enforcement death was recorded in 1791.

The National Peace Officers' Memorial Service is a fitting tribute to the 900,000 current law enforcement officers--and all Federal, State, and local police officers--who do the often-dangerous and always necessary work of protecting our families, our homes, and our workplaces. We honor these officers and their families on Capitol Grounds for the sacrifices they have made to maintain the peace in communities all across America.

Consistent with all Capitol Hill events, the memorial service will be free and open to the public. I strongly support this resolution and urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this tribute to our fallen law enforcement officers.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I was delighted to learn today from my son, Michael--who is visiting us and sitting in the gallery--that while we are looking at 40-mile- per-hour winds and blizzard conditions back in Minnesota, the snow is piling up. My son's good friend and coworker Toby, along with other kids and dads in our hometown, are bundled up in their garages and in their basements as we speak, designing and building their ultimate speed machines--the soap box racers--getting themselves ready for the exciting annual experience.

I personally have nothing but the fondest memories of long hot summer days scrounging the neighborhood for old wagon wheels, axles, two-by- fours, and thin sheets of tin or aluminum as all of us kids in the neighborhood scrambled to build our soap box racers for the annual summer races down Cemetery Hill.

These races were never formally recognized by the proper authorities, I must admit. In fact, we were frequently chased out of the cemetery by

the superintendent and his subordinates, as well as being chased off the city streets, quite frankly, by the local police, who no doubt had our personal safety and the public safety in mind at the time.

But law enforcement and the establishment never stopped us from enjoying those annual summer races. It was nothing but pure creative, constructive, exhilarating joy and pleasure that we experienced in our Soap Box Derby racers.

So with those golden days of yore in mind, I am delighted to support H. Con. Res. 19, extending proper recognition in authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the Greater Washington Soap Box Derby on June 15 of this year.

I would also like to acknowledge the steadfast support of this event by Mr. Hoyer, who has truly been a champion for his constituents in this regard. This bipartisan resolution has the support of the entire D.C.-area delegation.

On the date of the event, soap boxers from the Greater Washington area will race down Constitution Avenue to test their craftsmanship and their courage in Soap Box Derby racing. Children between the ages of 8 and 17 will be competing for the opportunity to race in the National All-American Soap Box Derby held every August in Akron, Ohio.

Consistent with all events using Capitol Grounds, this event is open to the public and free of charge. The organizers will work with the Capitol Police and the Architect of the Capitol to organize the details of the event.

Mr. Speaker, I support H. Con. Res. 19 and urge passage of this resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.